Okay, now that I have your attention!!

This aint to start another flame thread, but to get a feel for where you guys shoot.

1:What's your longest shot with a centerfire either at game/target and circumstance. mammels only, please, except crocs amd gators
~225 yards, at a wounded hog, 358 winchester, was on a turkey and hog hunt (april) and a 3.5 legged hog was found. The game manager, knowing my prediliction for hunting hogs, asked me to take care of it. From a rest(fence rail), he was feeding corn.

2: what's your closest shot, at game, only,
about 6 feet, with a rifle, 155lbs boar... I saw him sleeping, got withing about 3 feet, he woke up, spun, stopped, stared at me, blunk!

3: what's your "average" shot
between 35-75 yards, off hand.

[ 12-18-2002, 20:30: Message edited by: jeffeosso ]

1. Varmint- Prairie dog at a measured 393yds. with a T/C handgun in .223. I've taken them further away, but never measured the shots.
Big game - pronghorn antelope at 350yds. with my .243AI in Wyoming. After bumping some 'lopes, I snuck up a hillside and found them milling around. I set the bipod and waited for a clear shot. Crack! The 95gr. Ballistic Tip hit the buck and folded him right there.

2. Collared peccary - 2 feet! It was standing on the other side of a large [i]cholla[/] cactus which I reached over and shot downwards with a Wichita single-shot pistol in 7mmIntl.Rimmed.

3. 80-100yds. or so, usually from a rest of some sort.

George

The farthest I have shot at a target with a rifle was approximately 1800 yards. The target was a trash dumpster. I was using a M1A w/ iron sights. The ammo was 7.62mm NATO ball. I was shooting from the prone with one of my assistant instructors as a spotter. It was summer time in Sounthern California so gound was dry and dusty with little vegetation and the spotter could easily see the strike of the round on the ground. I kept adding clicks of elevation until I hit it. At 1800 yards, even a target the size of a trash dumpster is very hard to see.

Longest that I recall.

2 Jack rabbits at 400 and 440 yards with a 22-250 lying prone with a bipod.

Bull caribou (that was previously wounded)shot and killed with one shot at 550 yards(horseshit luck). Witnessed by game officer and a friend. Measured with snowmobile odometer then range finder.

Closest that I recall

Whitetail buck shot with 50 cal. Blk powder at 12 feet. I got lucky and saw him before he saw me. Could do nothing but wait until I had an opening. Just pointed like a shotgun and fired.

60" bull moose at 10 yards. Saw his rack for over 300yards. could not get a shot at the SOB until he was right on us.


Most shots are 200 yards and under. Meaning, Myself or clients that I guide, get just as many shots at 80-100yards as we do 200. Usually with a rest of some sort.

I usually shoot off hand if under 100 yards unless I had to crawl into possition. Then I shoot from that possition. If I have a moment to spare and conditions alow, I will shoot from a sitting position.

Daryl

1. 411 laser yards, Whitetail, prone, 57gr,IMR4350, 180gr Nosler BT.
2. About four feet, Whitetail, same load.
3. In the woodlots, about 65 yards, the fields just outside of and connecting the woodlots, from feet to 450 yds. I use the MPBR system of sighting to work well for all but the farthest shots. It takes some range time to get used to it but works wonderfully.

1. longest deer = 475 yards (7mm stw). 1 shot kill.

2. 2nd longest deer = 465 yards (270 win). 1 shot kill.

3. longest elk = 600 yards (375 H&H). I had to aim 6 feet high. It took a couple of shots before I hit it, then I had to track and finish it. This is not a recommended practice.

4. longest deer with a 45-70 = 300 yards. I hit about 4 feet low as the deer was going up a steep hill. It was a square butt shot that ruined an entire quarter.

5. closest = 15 foot finisher on an elk that was pretty out of it and walking toward me.

6. longest prarie dog = 400 yards, and darn proud of it. At about 350 yards my success drops to 1 in 5 or so.

All above shooting from hunting positions with sling support. #5 offhand (obviously).

Approx 500 yds on a groundhog with a Wby .270... BS Luck!!

348 yd pronghorn, same rifle.

19 ft on a whitetail. 12 ga. throwin' punkin' balls

1. 450 yards - Pronghorn with a .270 WSM

2. 7 yards - Feral hog and a Scimitar Oryx

3. Average shot I encounter is probably 100-120 yards off of shooting sticks.

Longest shots:

Varmint; Measured with two laser range finders, a prairie dog at 752 yards. Shot with a custom 6mm Remington

Big Game; Bull elk, 500 yards plus with a .338 Win Mag.

Closest: Same .338 Win Mag, 200 pound wild hog about 3 feet from the muzzle right before he knocked me on my ass. (He was dead, but his momentum carried him into me as he was coming down a steep hill.)

Average: For big game I would guess 100 yards.
For varmints I would have to say closer to 200.

R F

Longest:

905 yards, elk in Colorado. 300 Win Mag, 180 Nosler Balistic Tip. Elevation just over 11,000ft, temp low 40's (several years ago).

Nearest:

About 4 feet, Whitetail deer with a rifle (last year).

Average:

Over the last 3 or 4 years, greater than 150 yards. During the last year, greater than 200 yards (crop damage deer).

Longest: 440+ with a 6.5-06AI 120 Nosler BT Whitetail deer doe.

Shortest: stuck the GP100 in the doe's ribs and pulled the trigger. Messy event, wouldn't recommend it. Had to clean the gun twice.

Average: 150 for the last few years.

Measured 500 metres with the Tacometer in my fathers ute when I was about 18 years old. There were a mob of roo's in the next paddock looking straight at me, I had to go through a gate to get to them. If I tried to get closer they would have run off. So I took a shot out of the ute window. I placed the cross hair above him and a little to the right for wind and fired a shot. Dust appeared behind the roo on the hill side about 20 meters back. I thought I had missed as the roo hopped off. To my amazement it hopped 5 paces and fell over dead Rifle was a Remington ADL in .270 with leupold 3-9x40 Vari X-11, ammo used was factory winchester 130 gr powerpoint stuff.

Closest shots would be rabbits bolting from warrnens after placing ferrets down them.

I basically consider anything I hit with one shot out beyond 350 yds to be a fluke and thus don't even keep track of them...not that there have been that many. I once killed a jackrabbit at a measured 327 yds with a .22 K Hornet...but it was the 4th shot. Other 3 figured out elevation and winds. When I examined the rabbit I could find no entrance or exit wound, so I know my little 40gr. bullet was TIRED when it hit him.

My longest consistent 1 shot kills are all within the 350 yd range, I'm sure. (No ranging shots) Varmits mostly. Most with 30/06 or .22/250 or .257 Roberts.

I have found it is VERY OFTEN difficult to locate and identify game at ranges beyond this range as well. In some terrain even this is impossible. So our "longest shots" are often limited by other issues than just hunter skill. IMHO Probably most of us could get pretty deadly at greater range given the regular opportunity to practice it.

My shortest shot was an overzealous fox, literally at handshaking range. Put a 45 ACP in his face and pulled trigger.

Average is 100 yds.

I used to hunt varmits a LOT with pistols and got very effective out to 75/100 yds. Used anything from .22LR up to 44 Mag.

[ 12-20-2002, 04:41: Message edited by: Pecos45 ]

1:My longest shot was on black springbuck that was 425yds with my 25-06 and 100gr ballistic tip.

2:My closest shot was about 15ft on a whitetail doe with my 243 95gr partition.

3:A average hunting distance is around 50-75yds.

Longest big game shot:
Lasered 278 yards, spike mule deer. Was prone using a fanny pack for a rest. Model 70, .300 H&H Mag, 200grn Nosler Partitions. Hit him on the shoulder and folded him up.

Closest:
6 feet, coyote. He ran past me while I was hunting wab...er rabbits. Hit him with a .22 Browning Semi-Auto.

[ 12-19-2002, 08:06: Message edited by: JLHeard ]

jeffeosso,
Longest a ground hog at 232 paces with a 25-06 Ruger rifle.

Closest 6 feet a small whitetail doe with a longbow, I was hunting from the ground.

Average about 50 to 70 yards (whitetail deer).
Bryan

Longest varmint: woodchuck, NY, over the hood of a Blazer, 450 yds, 220 Swift, 0.4 MOA 40XBKSS, cuz I thought it was worth trying. Drilled.

Longest big game: cow elk, WY, 400 yds, .300 Win., M-700KSS, fading light, saw a group of elk and my guide takes me full gallop to close the range. Physically exhausted, drape myself over a sage, hold about 2 feet high, and squeeze cuz my guide said "shoot, dammit". There was no breeze and I was just too tired to miss. Drilled heart, but guide said "again", and necked it with #2. Glad they're big animals.

Shortest: whitetail, CT, 35 yds, offhand, 30-30 Marlin, relatively unimpressed with cartridge performance, heart shot deer ran about 200 yds, found next day. Last time I used a 30-30.

Avg: big game: Surprisingly, 150 yds, but mostly rested over limbs, bipod, or with sling. Very few shots taken totally offhand.

Sam

My longest shot was a deer at 160 yards. Offhand with a 6.5x55.

Whitetial doe - 930 yards/300win with fed. gold medal 190gr SMK.

Four deer with a knife.

Average just depends on weapon.
Bow - 30yds.
Muzzleloader - 40yds.
Rifle - 500 to 600yds.

Longest : not as impressive as you guys, roe deer and zebra, kneeling, approx 150 m.

shortest : roe deer and impala, 3 m. Knife : more roes and wild boars than I can remember, 1 impala, 2 warthogs ; spear : 1 kudu, 2 warthogs, 4 wild boars.

average? 30-60 m I'd say (driven hunts most of the time).

Moose at 180 meters, beaver at 3 meters.

Some people say "knife"? Do you mean a coup-de-grace against the spinal cord or actually stabbing an unnharmed animal?

What is the closest shot you have missed? I've missed a roe deer on 4 or 5 meters, things got a little hurried and a human being just isn't up to it if things happen THAT quick....

/HerrBerg

3000 meters with MA DEUCE at armor in the open! I can't say I hit em. But I sure scared the shit out of em!

2500 meters with the TOW missle again armor in the open. Dead, for sure!

P.S. Armor driven by mammals

1. Longest with a rifle - About 450 yds with a .243 on a doe antelope (I KNOW I stretched it beyond what I should have). It was during the rut in 1985 in Sweetwater County Wyoming. Hit her in the rump while she was facing away from me. The buck she was with saw me coming up to her and was making short charges at me. I jacked another round in the chamber and thought "how am I going to explain to the game warden that I shot this antelope in self defense?". He let me get to about 200 yards before he decided to take off.

2. Longest with a handgun - A small buck antelope in Carbon County Wyoming at about 150 yards with an iron sighted .44 mag. Hit him on the 4th or 5th shot. One shot was all that was needed to put him down.

3. Shortest was probably my elk that I got in 1994. It was in Carbon County WY again. I was hunting area 11 for a cow. Saw her at about 75 yards. One shot with a .300 H&H and I had some mighty fine steaks that winter.

Now my average shot is probably 200 - 300 yards. This is not counting shooting at pasture poodles.

My four with knife, were unharmed.

Longest-guesstimated 450 yds. with 7 MM Rem-coyote.

Shortest-5 feet-deer with bow.

Let's see,
Longest, Mule deer at 300 to 325 yds. with a 300 Weatherby. (New Mex. 5x4 with 30 1/2 in. spread.

Shortest was a 8pt whitetail at 5 feet with a 35 Remington. I was sitting under a hemlock tree and blew a fawn bleat call during the rut. He was running full bore when he passed me. My first deer. Arms length is the shortest kill if you count sticking hogs with a knife, killed 5 that way.

One of my favorite shots was with a 44 magnum Redhawk when I shot the head off of a grouse at 25 yds. The good thing was I was standing on the tailgate of a truck and there were 5 witnesses.

I whitetail hunt a lot here in the east and I would say my average shot is 40yds. But if you add in the shots at game in the west, elk at 75, caribou at 200, antelope at 75, moose at 60, bear at 50, several mule deer, 100,200,75., it goes up to 97 yds. average.

Longest: Whitetail deer at 588 yards, verified by laser rangefinder. One shot with .300 Jarrett and 165 gr. Nosler Ballistic tip dropped the deer in it's tracks.

Shortest: Whitetail deer at 10 yards. Shot directly under tree stand.

Average: Probably 75 - 100 yards.

[ 12-20-2002, 20:04: Message edited by: Mark in SC ]

Longest shots:
#1: Whitetail deer. Standing still broadside. 400 yards. 30 06 1917 Enfield. Age 16 or so.

#2: Whitetail deer. Moving away shot. Same rifle. Same age range. 440 years exact. Owner measured field for fence sometime later.

Mind you, this is in 40 years of hunting and dozens of head of big game taken.

Shortest shot: Last month. Whitetail doe. 50 feet. 300 WSM.

Most of my kills were at an average of 100 yards, with the longest being approximately 175 years.

Notice all my long shots came in my teen years, when I was full of piss and vinegar. I'll admit to not knowing better. I also carried my rifle almost year round and shot it as ofent as I could afford the cheap surplus ammo that was available. These days, I challenge myself to get as close as possible. I'll do a 300 yeard shot, but will think twice about anything longer.

My hunting and shooting has just about been split between plains hunting the mountain hunting with the plains taking a slight lead. Even here in the open, shots tend to be way below 300 years, below 200 yards, and darn close to 100 yards.

Longest shot on deer: about 325 yards, 270 Win Weatherby Vanguard 130 Partition.

Shortest shot: Mulie buck lying down rubbing velvet off his antlers. I saw the tree shaking before I saw him at about 15 yards.He never got up.

Longest varmint shot: this past summer.Crow on a fencepost with Sako Varmint(me,not the crow)at 367 lasered yards,first shot.Unluckiest crow in Alberta I'm sure.

Longest shot - 500 yards on an antelope, north of Roundup, Montana. Perfect conditions, no wind, good light, range finder, nice rise to lay the pack on,prone position, basicaly, a benchrest shot. Probably wouldn'tattemp anything of the sort any more.

Closest - Had blood splattered on myself from a white tail buck in rut. Range about a foot from the muzzle. He was following a doe that went right by me, and he had other things on his mind. No sight necessary.

Average shot - Deer, 20 yards. Elk, 50 yards. Bear, 40 yards. My only mountain goat, 50 yards. My only bighorn, 50 yards. Small game, 10 - 300 yards.

I recall one a few years back where I wasn't able to take a shot. I was hunting the reservation line, after scouting the trails pretty well. I was sitting on the main trail before daylight bowhunting, when the herd passed through. I had elk stepping between my legs as they passed, and I couldn't draw my bow to shoot, they were that close.

Plus, I questioned the intelligence of putting an arrow into an elk when they were right over the top of me.

I had a member of the American Mountain Men with me on this foray, and he was completely freaked out. Had no clue to elk, deer, or any thing else. I found out through the years he was pretty much representative of most of thier members. Kinda funny. I'll reserve his name yet, as some of the members may read this board. They would be suprised at the identification of this individual.

Longest, 7.62 mm 1000m + AH-1G
Shortest, Hog 2' muzzle to spine...maybe less
Average, Deer 20-25 yards. 4 of last 5 would not total 100 yds.
Scariest, 7.62mm(OH-6A) vs. 12.7mm at 50 meters, Hamburger Hill, RVN. Just a little past noon....